The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-01-13
NANCY DEDMAN,

ut was an ugly bit of travelling,
can tell you, over Hinde Head in my
young days; as ZONES ONE q place as
any in the country round. And it
weren't for nothing as they gived the
place to the Devil neither; there's the
DEVILS Jumps over to Frensham, and
his Punchbowl at your feet; and over
to the Downs you sees his very marks!
bis claws as where he grabbed as he
fell. And the deeds done round about
were his own and no mistake.
"l'm thinking now OF a tale as is not
so known as it should be. That stone
before ye tells OF the poor sailor chap
as was murdered here, for his money
no doubt-coming from Portsmouth
he were; but no stone nor no book, SO
far as | know, has spoke for Nancy
Dedman.
oilers was a death indeed. can't
speak to the partiklars, for l had it as
it were handed down through ninety
years and more; but l won't tell you
lie if can help it, and for all l
haven't it chapter and verse, its won.
derful lifesome, too.
"The Delmans lived. when they was
to home. III bit OF a place in the
Combe there. You might pass within
a yard OF it and not see it, so grand
father said. They was OF a smuggling
crew. There was a chain of them SNUG.
glers, from Portsmouth all the way,
and q wild set they was. They had
the country on their side though, and
the coastguardses was thought no
better OF than they deserved.
There was two brothers, Dick and
Joe Dedman, and their father;
and Nancy was the one girl. She was
a beauty by all accounts-very wild
too, and as rare one at smuggling as
any of them; and she would ride bare
back on any horse, and be out all
night and all day, and many's the
time when she's kept the coastguard-
SEES at bay, and done many bit OF
business as wanted woman's wit
and a mans strength.
"She must have been still a lass
when there was news OF a rare lot of
spirits and baccy, lit w,A the war
time) and the word was passed along
the line from Portsmouth to Hinde
Head, and beyond 100, in course.
And the Kings men got wind on it,
and they made ready for q flay-they
thought as how they would break the
neck OF this smuggling business; more
fools they! as if poor men was
to be put down and denied their
rights so easy! Well, it seems as
they'd planned to put so many at
each of the smuggling posts, all ready
and they said they would settle ali.
and easy. too, excepting the Dedman
lot, on account OF Dick Dedman; he
was q wonderful power of man!
They'd had q warrant agin him ever
so long, but never could lay hand on
him, nor find out where he put up.
So one of the Kings men, IA sharp
young fellow, whose father were a
farmer, but lately come over to this
side OF Godalming,) he took the job.
And he dropped down one day on
Nancy Dedman in the Combe, and
made out as he were q sailor on his
way to Lunnon; and he asked for a
bite and drink. And she looked
him up and down, and her decide
ment were that he meant no harm, so
she asked him in and gave it he.
And he talked from one to t'other Of
foreign parts and the wars; and Nan
cy, she were terrible took up with it
all; and he had, they said, a way with
him, and he were an honest young
chap, too, but for his trade. Well,
without so much as her finding out,
she gets to tell he that she is alone till
the night, till the old man come, and
that he and the lads was away; Joe
to Guildford and Dick to the mill over
by Haslemere; he was but lately come
back and keeling quiet; giving his work,
and everyone was on his side, and
would not betray he to any OF the
Kings men-she, who was that sharp
they called her Hawk-eyed Nance
she were drawn on and on-and he
wound up with more OF his tales, and
went on his way. leaving her a think
Ing on the Indies, and wishing she
might see the sailor again.
But he, he went back to his mates,
and they followed Dick up, and sure
enough they nailed him at the mill,
and he were warranted and throw'd
Into Jail. Well. the fray came off, and
tho coast guardses beat the smugglers
all along the line, and Joe Dedman
vas killed in the fray, and the old
man swore as he would track the trait
or who told on Dick and take his life
Tor his son Joe; for had Dick been
there he would have made one too
many for the devils OF Kings men.
Nancy hadn't q thought as how it
were she; no, not when at the Hasle-
mere Pairing she met the sailor who
said as how he'd settled down with his
father, old farmer Kemp, to Godalmins
which was truth, for ned g,v'd up
the coastguardsing.
Zone way and another they was al.
ways meeting, and young Kemp he
lost his heart to she, and they say as
he told his father as he must have
Nancy Dedman or he would be off to
the war. The old farmer shook'd his
head, but he could never give his son
any denial, and when once he brought
Nancy to see the old man, he said he
were bound to confess that Nancy had
the ways OF lady, for all she was so
brown, and was of the Dedman lot.
1t made deal of talk, but old Ded-
man he took no heed, till one day-it
we're soon after Dick come home; l
never heard who gotten him out, but
it were soon after. Well, one day
Nancy spoke up that she was
going to get married and to young
Farmer Kemp. There was kick-up!
the old man and Dick had set their
minds to give Nancy to one of their
crew to Portsmouth,; to keep her in
the trade, and to keep themselves fair
with the head crew there. And tho
whole crew WAS mad after Nancy Ded-
man. Nancy. stood to it that she'd
marry young Kemp; and they gave
her q time of it! q reg'lar persecution
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